NCW begins probe into BHU violence

Varanasi, Oct 5 (IANS) Acting chairperson of NCW Rekha Sharma on Thursday said a probe will be initiated at all levels in last month's BHU violence and the former Vice Chancellor be given an opportunity to explain his side of the events.

Sharma, who arrived in the temple town on Wednesday, reached the Banaras Hindu University campus on Thursday. She went straight to the LD guest house, interacted with girls and held a hearing on the issue.

"If he (Vice Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi) wants to put up his side of the story well and good, otherwise he will be asked to appear before the National Commission for Women and do so," Sharma told the media here.

The NCW chief also said that since both the police and the BHU authorities were denying any cane-charge on girl students, the matter needs to be probed threadbare, at all levels.

Violence had erupted on the BHU campus on September 24 when students from boys' hostels hurled stones and petrol bombs at the police and paramilitary forces on VC Lodge Road on campus.

Students had gone berserk following reports of some hostel inmates suffering injuries in the cane-charge by policemen near the VC lodge.

Police had resorted to use of force after a group of boys blocked the gate of the Vice Chancellor's lodge in support of girl hostellers protesting against the menace of harassment on campus.

Girl hostellers had held a 13-hour demonstration even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also the Lok Sabha MP from here, was in the city on a two-day visit.